Rail-joint.



ANDREW FREE, F SULPI-IUR BLUFF, TEXAS.

RAIL-JOINT.

Looases.

To aZ/ 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDRnw FREE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Sulphur Blufi', in the county of Hopkins and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- J oints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to new and useful lmprovements in railway rail joints, and more particularly to the class of joints wherein the use of bolts and nuts is eliminated, and my object is to provide a device of this Character in which the ends of the rails are provided with interlocking extensions.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a connecting member designed to fit between the ends of the rails and over the interlocking extensions thereof.

A still further obj ect is to provide a oint of this Character which is of such simple construction as to be cheaply manufactured, and which will be very effective in looking the ends of the rails without the use of bolts and nuts.

VVith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rail joint having` a portion thereof broken away to show the engagement of the looking members; Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of one end of a rail; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the end of the opposed rail; and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the connecting member.

In carrying out-my invention, I shall refer to the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which l and 2 indicate, respectively, the ends of two opposed rails which are adapted to be joined, said rail ends being provided with longitudinal extensions 4 and 3, respectively. The extension 3, of the rail 2, is formed on a portion of the web, and has the base, or bottom face thereof, in continuation with the base or bottom face of said rail proper, and the outer end of said extension is provided with an upwardly ex- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 11, 1911.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Serial No. 613,725.

tending proj ection 5, the inner face of which is inclined, as shown at 6.

The opposed rail end 1, has its extension 4 formed between the web and tread thereof, and the outer end of said extension 4 is provided with a downwardly extending projection 7, the inner face of said projection being also inclined, as shown at 8, at an angle coincident to the inclination of the face 6 of the opposite projection. These extensions and projections are of equal length, so that when engaged with one another the inclined faces 6 and 8 of the projections will snugly engage one another, and the outer ends of said extensions will fit tightly against the webs of the opposed rails. In i this manner the ends of the rails may be securely locked together, but this means will, of course, only prevent longitudinal movement of the rails.

. In order to prevent any possibility of lateral movement of the interlocked extensions of the rails, and further to cover the space left between the ends of the opposed rails, I provide the connecting member 9, which is of a length equal to the length of the extensions 3 and 4, and channel or U- shaped in cross-section. The inner faces of the walls of said connecting member are flat and the distance between the side walls thereof is equal to the width of said extensions 3 and 4, so that when said connecting member is positioned thereover, the same will fit snugly between the ends of said rails, and also engage tightly the sides of said extensions. This connecting member 9 is of a height equal to the height of the rails and the outer faces of the walls thereof are curved coincident to the curvature of said rails, whereby when the connecting member has been properly positioned, there will be no crevices or spaces between the same and the ends of the rails, and a perfect rail surface for the wheels of the car to pass thereover will be provided.

It will be understood that when such a joint, as above described, is sued in practice, a tie of the usual or any preferred form is to be placed immediately thereunder and in order to provide for the securing of the rails to the tie, I provide the usual spikereceiving openings 10, adjacent the ends thereof. In this manner, two rail ends having interlocking extensions may be secured to a tie and the connecting member merely spaced from said extensions, whereby a perfect tread Will be formed at the joint. Hovvever, if desired, spike-receiving openings may also be provided in said connecting member 9, Whereby the same may be also secured to the tie.

From the foregoing it Will be seen that I have provided a rail joint in which the use of bolts and nuts is eliminated, which joint is extremely simple in construction, and also very effective in operation.

It Will further be seen that by providing the extensions With opposed Vertical projections the inner faces of which are inclined, the rail ends may be securely locked to prevent longitudinal movement. It will further be seen that by giving the connecting member a channel shape, the same is adapted to prevent the lateral movement of the interlocking eXtensions, as Well to form a perfect tread at the joint.

I'Vhat I claim is: j

1. A rail joint of the class described, comprising a pair of rails having interlocking extensions formed at the ends thereof, and a connecting member, of channel shaped design, fitting over said extensions and snugly engaging the same to prevent lateral movement thereof, said connecting member ab'utting the ends of the opposed rails and having the outline thereof designed coincident to the Outline of said rails.

2. A rail joint of the class described comprising a pair of rails having` interlocking` longitudinal eXtensions at the ends thereof, and a connecting member fitting snugly over said extensions, the Outline of said connecting member coinciding With the outlines of said rails and the base of said member forming a continuation of the base of the rails.

3. A rail joint of the class described comprising a pair of rails having longitudinal extensions at the ends thereof adapted to interlock With one another and a connecting member outlined coincident With the outlines of the rails and having a Vertical channel therein, said connecting member being adapted to be placed over the extensions to allow the same to snugly fit Within said channel With the ends of said connecting member to abut the ends of the rails.

4:. A rail joint of the class described comprising a pair of rails having longitudinal extensions at the ends thereof, said extensions being spaced from the outer edges of the rails and adapted to interlock, and a connecting member adapted to fit snugly over said extensions having a Vertical channel to receive the same, said connecting member being outlined coincident to the ontline of said rails.

In testimony Whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ANDREVV FREE.

Wtnesses:

Fonns'r STUBBLEFIELD, R. D. SANDERS.

Copes of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing' the Commssioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

